dodgson



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' F. L. DODGSON.

RAILWAY SIGNAL. No. 514,118. Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

(1&0 M odel.)

, F. L. DODGSON.

' RAILWAY SIGNAL.

2 Sheets-Shget 2.

Ne; 5l4,118. Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

mar m n m4 V WARM 59S:

' UNITED STATES P TENT I FFICE.

FRANK L. DODGSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AUTO-PNEUMATIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL COMPANY,

OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,118, dated February 6, 1894.

Application filed September 26, 1893. Serial No. 486,428. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be if known that I, FRANK L. DODGSON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at'Rochester, in the county of Monroe,in the State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved mechanism for operating railway-signals by a'passmg engine or train, designed more particularly for use in connection with pneumaticsignals, butcapable of being employed for other purposes.

My improvement is fully described and illustrated in the following specification and the accompanying drawings,the novel fea tures thereof being specified in the claims annexed to the said specification.

In the accompanying drawings representlng my improvements, Figure 1 is a plan vlew. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a partial plan view on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a partial side view. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 55,Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents one of the arms detached. Fig.7 is a Vertical section of the valve-mechanism, on the line 7-7, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on the line 8S, Fig. 7.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a track-rail, B a bar or shoe arranged in sections'lengthwise of the rail on the outer side thereof, C a rock-shaft also arranged lengthwise, and D an arm or lever on the rockshaft by which the valve or signal is operated'. The shoe B is depressed by the outer edges or flanges of the wheels as they pass along the rail, and this movement is transmitted to the rock-shaft by the arms 6, so as toimpart to the shaft a partial rotation about its longitudinal axis. The movement of the shoe and arms is indicated by the full and dotted lines in the drawings,-in Fig. 5 in particular.

It will be understood that Figs. 1 and 2 show only a little more than one-half of the entire length of the shoe and rock-shaft,the portion omitted being a duplicate of that shown and extending to the right hand of the lever D. The shoe is maintained in an elevated position, with its upper edge a short distance above the upper surface of the rail by a weight or weights, F, applied to an arm or arms a,fastened to the rock-shaft in any convenient location. A suitable recess is formed in the ballast to permit the play of the weight. The sections of the shoe at its end are beveled or inclined, as indicated at E, Fig. 2, so that the shoe is gradually, depressed as the wheel rolls onto it. I have found in practice thata bevel or inclination of three-fourths of an inch in eight feet operates satisfactorily with the fastest trains, but it may be made greater or less.

The rock-shaft C is supported in a series of chairs, I, secured to the cross-ties outside the rail. The shoe is supported laterally in slots, b, in the chairs-its inner surface resting against the head of the rail, as indicated in.

Fig. 5, and the shoe being arranged either VBItlOEtllYOI' at a slight inclination,according to the shape of the particular type of rail employed for the track. The chairs are made of any suitable shape, adapted to fit the rail at their inner ends, to form journals for the rock-shaft, and to afford opportunity for the insertion of spikes at their outer ends, to securethem to the cross-ties. The chairs are preferably employed in pairs, as indicated, 1

being fastened to adjacent cross-ties, T T, Fig. 3, with one or more of the arms (2 keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 0 between them. The arms are-located-under the ends of the sections of the shoe. It will be observed from Fig. 5 that the upper surfaces of the ends of the arms are preferably given a suitable curved shape, where the lower edge of the shoe bears on them. To limit the upward movement of the sections, the pins f are driven through them, near their lower edges, and these pins bear against the lower surfaces of the lugs h, on the sides of the chairs, or against the lower side of the head of the rail, or, as indicated in Fig. 5, against both of these surfaces. One or more vintermediate chairs may be employed under each section, if desired. 7

It willvbe observed from Figs. 1 and 2, that the section of the shoe which would come opposite the rail-joint J is omitted. This arrangement, and the general construction, permit the application of the apparatus to any portion of the track, as ordinarily constructed, without any alterations therein. It will be understood, that the sectional shoe obviates any trouble in the working of the apparatus from expansion, and any binding from settling of the track or similar causes. The rock-shaft is also provided,as often as is necessary, with the universal joints L, of any suitable or preferred construction, and which allow it to yield slightly as the track is depressed by settling, or from the passage of a train, so as to obviate any binding or unnecessary friction in the journals in the chairs. When the section at one end of the shoe is depressed, the arms 6 all move simultaneously and all the other sections are permitted to move downward until their upper surfaces are flush with the top of the rail. The shoe is preferably made of such a length that it will be depressed once only by a passing train,-for which purpose the distance from the point K, Fig. 2, at the top of the bevel on the shoe-section at one end to the corresponding point on the shoe section at the opposite end, should be at least equal to the distance between the innermost axles of the longest car which runs over the railway. The arms e are placed on the rock-shaft at a distance from the sides of the chairs, so that the shaft can expand or contract freely.

The construction of the Valve-mechanism will be understood from an examination of Figs. 7 and 8. It is required to open a valve to allow air under pressure to actuatea signal, and then to shut off the supply to the signal and to exhaust the air therefrom. This operation is performed by the mechanism represented in the figures mentioned, in which N is the pipe conveying air under pressure, P the pipe which carries the air to the piston or diaphragm employed to actuate the signal, V the valve, and W W a weight or weights by which the valve is closed, except at the time a train or engine is passing over the shoe.

Q is a stem by which the weight is connected with the lever D on the rock-shaft C. When the shoe is depressed, the Weight and valve are lifted, as represented by the full and dotted lines in Fig. 7, and the air is allowed to pass from the inlet pipe N to the pipe P.

R is a suitable cylindrical casing, fitted to receive the valve V and the piston Z, which are connected together by the stem 0. The casing is provided with a passage (1, communicating with the interior at its lower end through the port '6, at its upper endthrough the port j, and laterally with the pipe P. The piston Z is provided with a stem Z, attached at its upper end to the plate 70, on which the weight W rests when the valve V is closed. At its upper end the cylinder It has a ring, m, provided on its lower surface with a seat, at, of leather or other suitable packing. hen the shoe is depressed, the piston Z seats against the packing a, and closes the outlet through the port j, so that the compressed air cannot escape,butis compelled to pass through the pipe P. The piston Z is provided with the packing 0, secured in place by the plate q.

r is a small passage, through the wall of the cylinder, which permits the escape of the air from the space between the valve V and the piston Z.

The valve V is provided on its lower side with a packing s,which closes the inlet through the pipe N on the seat 25.

The casing R is attached to a plate U which is supported by one or more timbers X, or other suitable foundation embedded in the ground.

A casing Y surrounds the valve mechanism, and prevents the access of dust or dirt to it,-the upper end of the casing projecting into an annular channel, a, in the lower-side of the weight W. When the weight W is lifted from the plate 70, the air-pressure from the pipe N raises the valve V from its seat 6, closes the piston Z against the seat a, and allows the air to pass through the pipe P to the signal or other device which it is designed to operate. When the train passes olf of the shoe, the weight descends and closes the inlet pipe N by seating the valve V on the seat 25. At the same time the escape of air from the signal or other device, and the pipe P, is permitted, by the descent of the piston Z, openlng the passage through the port j and thence around the stem 1 and through the channel a to the outer air.

It will be observed that the weight W can move upward away from the plate is, after the latter has arrived at the extremity of its travel. This arrangement renders the closing of the passage j independent of the exact amount of motion imparted to the rock-shaft by the shoe.

The space between the chairs is closed or covered in any suitable way, so as to keep dirt or snow from accumulating around the arms 6. In the construction shown, the chairs are provided with a recess 10 along their upper corners, into which the edges of a suitably shaped cover, represented by the dotted lines o, are fitted. The cover is held in place by screws inserted in the chairs, or in a timber or block placed between or below the crossties. The bottom of the slot b is inclined in each direction, as indicated by the dotted lines I), Fig. 4, so that any substance in the slot will be forced out as the shoe descends.

The number of sections employed in the shoe may be varied. For some purposes two or three sections may be used, but the advantages of entire freedom of movement and flexity consequent upon the use of a large number of relatively shorter sections will be apparent. The lever D may be attached to the rock-shaft at any preferred point in its length. The chairs may be formed in two or more parts, one containing the slot which guides the shoe, and the other forming the journals for the rock-shaft.

2. The combination, with the track-rail, of,

the movable sectional shoe arranged lengthwise of the rail, the counterweighted rockshaft provided with arms extending under the shoe, and the slotted chairs, substantially as described.

'3. The combination, with the track-rail, of the movable sectional shoe having beveled ends, therock shaft having arms extending under the shoe, and the slotted chairs, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the track-rail, of the movable sectional shoe, a series of slotted chairs arranged near the ends of the sections, and the rock-shaft having arms supporting the sections near their ends, substantially as described. i

' in the slots, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the track rail, of the shoe-section B, provided with pin f, and the chair I having slot 19, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the track-rail, of

8. The combination, with the track-rail, of the shoe-section B, provided with pin f, and the chair I, having slot 1) and lug h, substantially as described. 7

9. The combination of the track-rail, of the sectional shoe B, the adjacent chairs I I, the rock-shaft 0, having arms 6 e between the chairs, and the removable cover 1;,substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the track-rail, of the sectional shoe B and the chair I, fitted to the rail at its inner end, provided with slot 1) in which the shoe moves, and forminga journal for the rock-shaft outside of the slot, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with the track-rail, of the movable shoe arranged lengthwise. ofthe rail, the slotted chairs, the 'counterweighted rock-shaft provided with arms extending under the shoe, a lever attached to the rock shaft, and a signal-operating valve connected with the lever, substantially as described.

12. The combination, with the track-rail, of the movableshoe arranged lengthwise of the rail, the slotted chairs, the counterweighted rock-shaft provided with arms extending under the shoe, a lever attached to the rockshaft and a signal-operating valve-mechanism consisting of the casing R having passage d and pipes N and P, the valve V and piston Z, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with the track-rail, ot' the movable shoe arranged lengthwise of the rail, the slotted chairs, the counterweighted rock-shaft provided with arms extending under the shoe, a lever attached to the rockshat't, and a signal-operating valve discontinuously connected with the lever, whereby the opening and closing of the valve are ren dered independent of the amount of motion FRANK L. DODGSON.

Witnesses:

G110. B. SELDEN, O. G, ORANNELL. 

